Press Releases

25. February 2006

congatec and SMA announce Cooperation

This year's embedded world exhibition marks the start of the cooperation of two industry specialists: SMA Technologie AG will provide custom baseboard solutions for congatec XTX modules. The advantages for the customer resulting from this close cooperation are obvious:The customer will benefit from the know-how of two embedded computer technology specialists from one supplier, can always rely on solutions which integrate the latest technology and expect faster product development.

Two times the expertise and state-of-the-art embedded computers

Niestetal / Deggendorf, February 14, 2006 - SMA Technologie AG has been developing and manufacturing embedded computers for customers of a variety of industries for 25 years. This experience is manifested in SMA's wide range of analog and digital interfaces with electric separation, power interfaces and power converters as well as interfaces for integrating fieldbusses (CAN, Interbus, Profibus); plus, SMA offers expertise in the field of "rugged" computer technology. The most recent proof of which is the shockresistant and waterproof compact mobile computer, Enduro Outdoor.

SMA now also provides custom baseboard solutions for the XTX modules from congatec. The two companies have agreed on a close cooperation and a comprehensive exchange of experience and development know-how. congatec AG was founded by pioneers in the field of the ETX® (Embedded Technology eXtended) standard and established itself on the market within one year of its founding. XTX (eXpress Technology for ETX®), congatec's expansion of ETX, has made this well-established standard a sure-thing for the future.

The advantages for the customer resulting from SMA's experience in the field of custom solutions for industrial interfaces combined with the know-how of congatec in the development of XTX-CPU�s are:

Time of development and time-to-market are reduced due to parallel development,

The advantages of computer-on-modules provide the latest processor technology for embedded applications,

The manufacturing of rugged industrial computers profits from two times the know-how and expertise, now available from one supplier.

congatec's XTX-CPU's are used to adjust the module to the given application. XTX offers the newest I/O technologies which makes it compatible with all of today's form factors. SMA offers custom baseboard solutions with special features and additional options. The integration of the XTX boards as computer-on-modules allows the simple and quick modification of individual embedded solutions to the latest processor technology.

Incorporating the EPI (Embedded Panel Interface) standard, the same also applies to display technology.

The conga-X945 module, presented at today's embedded world exhibition for the first time, includes Intel Core Duo processors. congatec makes this new technology, which is just now finding its way into the consumer market, already available for embedded systems. "This short time-to-market combined with our experience in the field of custom interface solutions is what makes the cooperation so attractive for our customers", explains Peter Drews, Management Board Member of SMA Technologie AG.